what is the meaning of my cat was back and so was I? Had the author gone anywhere? Why does he say he is also back?
Answers
“My cat was back and so was I” means that he had found his cat and he himself had a new outlook on life. He got his cat back after he had lost all hope of finding it. He said that he was also back because he had a feeling of gratitude for his life now. Earlier he had a feeling of insecurity and fear regarding his new school whereas after the fire, the generosity of his friends and the return of his cat changed his outlook on life as he started participating in life and he felt that he was ‘back’.
The author had lost all hope in life after he witnessed his house being burnt. Life became meaningless to him as loss had taken over. Loss of his closest friends from his old school, loss of his house, possessions and more importantly the loss of his dear cat. The author did not want to go to school, as his clothes looked weird, he had no books or homework and his backpack too was gone. In fact he did not want to continue living. Everything seemed surreal and he wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Everyone in high school, including the teachers, was aware of his plight. He was embarrassed as if somehow he were responsible. This was not the kind of attention he was looking for. However after that incident people in school were acting strange. They kept milling around him asking him to go to the gym. When he entered the gym there was a big table set up with all kinds of stuff for him. School supplies, notebooks, all kinds of different clothes — jeans, tops, sweatsuits. It was like Christmas for the author. People who had never spoken to him before were coming up to him to introduce themselves. The author got all kinds of invitations to their houses. Their genuine outpouring of concern really touched him. At that moment, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and thought for the first time that things were going to be okay. He made friends that day. It took a fire for him to stop focusing on his feelings of insecurity and open up to all the wonderful people around me. He wasn’t alone now, and took interest in watching his house being rebuilt. Not only this, but he also received his lost cat. A woman came and handed it over to him one day, informing him that she had taken care of it since she couldn’t contact the owner. At this time, the author’s joy knew no bounds. He leapt up and grabbed her out from the woman’s arms. He held her close to him and cried into that beautiful orange fur. She purred happily. His friends were hugging him, hugging the cat and jumping around. The overwhelming feelings of loss and tragedy seemed to diminish. He felt grateful for his life, his new friends, the kindness of a stranger and the loud purr of his beloved cat. He said, ‘My cat was back and so was I.’ indicating that his inner self too was lost in grief and despair but now he was back with renewed joy and hope in life.